This invention relates to household refrigerators and is more particularly concerned with a combination refrigerator, that is, a refrigerator including a freezer compartment on top and a fresh food compartment below, both of which are cooled by circulating air from the two compartments over a single evaporator employing a single fan to accomplish the circulation. This invention relates to a movable storage assembly having air flow control means for controlling the circulation of air to the storage pan in the fresh food compartment of the refrigerator.
Combination refrigerators, including a single evaporator and a single fan for circulating air from the freezer and fresh food compartments over the evaporator are well known. In the operation of such refrigerators, a major portion of the refrigerated air from the evaporator is directed into the freezer compartment while a smaller portion is directed into the fresh food compartment. In addition, it is well known to direct a portion of the cold air flowing into the fresh food compartment downwardly through an air duct to and around a storage container or pan, thus maintaining the interior of the pan at a slightly lower temperature than other portions of the fresh food compartment. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,656,314; 3,126,721; 3,473,345 and 3,108,455. These pans are particularly useful for the preservation of fresh foods, such as fruit, vegetables and meat, so that they may be stored at temperatures somewhat below those of other stored foods.
It is desirable, however, that such pans have the temperature adjustable or controllable to provide the desired temperature inside the pan regardless of varying conditions that act on the refrigerating system. Such things as the degree of cooling, that is, the temperature of the air as it leaves the evaporator, often depend upon different ambient temperature conditions. For instance, when greater heat leakage occurs under high ambient temperature conditions, such as in the Summer, it often is necessary to provide for a greater circulation of the refrigerated air around the pan to keep the inside at a proper temperature. Moreover, it is highly desirable to be able to control the temperature inside the pan, depending upon the type of food to be stored therein. In particular, when the pan is used for meat storage, the temperature should be lower than if the pan is used for fruits and vegetables. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,600,905 and 3,364,694, wherein there is shown two different arrangements for controlling the quantity of cold air flowing around the storage pan. In addition, it is often desirable to have the storage pan movable within the fresh food compartment of the refrigerator to allow the user to change its location with respect to the shelves so that the storage arrangement will best suit the desires of the user. For instance, in some refrigerators the shelves are movable by attaching to the rear wall of the inside liner parallel tracks with slots into which shelf brackets are removably received. The shelves may then be moved up and down the tracks so that they can be arranged however the user wishes. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,098,481 that shows such a track assembly. It is also desirable to have the temperature of the interior of the movable storage pan controllable so that it may be used for keeping either meat or vegetables and fruit, again depending upon the desires of the user.
By our invention, there is provided a movable storage assembly, including a storage pan, whereby the user of the refrigerator may adjust the amount of cold air flowing around the pan and thus control the interior temperature of the pan.